The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-14
TOM LOHNSONISM.

care to let them know. The Indifference of
the people to the management of local affairs
is incomorehensi6le Indifference as to the
management Of national or even State affairs
would not be so strange, though bad enough
But that in city of 100, 900 population the
citizens and taxpayers who virtually own it,
and whose comfort, welfare and prosperity are
all bound up in it, should give but passing
thought now and then to the management Of
its great interests is simply inexplicabe.
great many of our ''good citizens" do not even
take interest enough to vote, and most of
those who do seem to think they have dis
charged their whole duty when they have de-
posted q ballot for Tom, Dick or Harry for
some public Office with liberty to do as he
pleases. Little wonder if Tom, Dick and
Harry take them at their word. These 'tgood
citizens" are watchful enough of their private
business, jealous of their rights, economical
and exacting; but when it comes to public
business they exercise no oversight, take no
interest, and submit quietly to all sorts of
mismanagement and the most reckless tinker
ing and trifing with public interests. 1t is
high time for a change in this regard.
The ordinance referred to is one of series
by which the Council for years past have been
granting valuable rights and franchises to the
street railway company. The record shows
that the Council has always granted the de-
mands of the company, invariably preferring
their interests to those of the public and never
exacting anything from the company in re-
turn. If The Council had shown any foresight
to-day be enjoying handsome revenue from
the franchise. But not content with granting
this monopoly for nothing the Council has en-
braced every opportunity to confirm, extend
and enlal e it. They have allowed the COM
pany to actually lord it over the city and to
ride rough-shod over the people whose streets
they were using. There is scarcely an in
stance on record where the Council has stood
for the rights of the people against the COM
record where it has refused the de-
mands of the company or made honest
attempt to compel it to conform to the law.
The Council has sometimes pretended that it
was about to compel the company to ''come to
time" but the pretense has ended in nothing,
and after the public has been sufficiently
Il / L.. 49,
the Council, we mean majority of the Coun-
ci The majority is the Council, and the
railroad company has always been able to rally
its majority.
The record of the Council on this whole
question is disgraceful. It has surrendered
valuable franchises for nothing granted the
free use of public property to monopoly
without getting anything in return, shown
contemplate if not a corrupt aacrity in fort
flying the monopoly whenever it needed fort
flying, and for series of years has VIGOROUSLY
represented the interests of a corporation with
all the grasping instincts of its kind rather
than the interests of the people. This last
ordinance is in keeping with the whole rec
ord. Whether the present grant of the free
use of the new tunnel is of large pecuniary
value to the street railway or not, is not to
the point. 1t was of sufficient value to be
asked for, and they got it. 1t required new
ordinance and it was passed. The ordinance
itself is bad, but the manner of its passage is
worse. The Common Council passed it with
out question or any attempt to ascertain what
rights were involved In the Board of Alder
men it was referred to a committee and two
reports were made, the majority recommend
| ing important amendments and the minority
recommending the passage of the ordinance
! The minority report was adopted and the bill
passed. Some of those who voted for it now
say they did not know what it meant. Then
they are not fit to be in the Council A man
intrusted with the management of public
business is supposed to know what he is do
ing. He should be intelligent enough to I'M
derstand and honest enough to maintain the
rights of the people, and if he is lacking in in
telligence or honesty he is not fit for the
place. One thing every member of the Coun-
Gil and Board of Alderman must have known
perfectly well, namely, that the ordinance in
volved a new grant to monopoly which has
been fattening off the city for years. This
should have put them on their inquiry. Now
that their stupidity, or worse, has been ex-
posed, we shall see if they have grace enough
transactions like this will rouse the people Il
take some interest in the management of pub
lie affairs.
DEMOCRACY AND HIGH LICENSE.